


The Truth

by Lord_Elmo22



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Qrow Branwen is Ruby Rose's Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24497551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Elmo22/pseuds/Lord_Elmo22
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose
Kudos: 16





	The Truth

It was far too perfect a day for what was about to transpire. The winter storms had finally subsided, letting the sun shine brightly on Patch for the first time in weeks.The blanket of fresh snow remained pristine upon the ground; as if no creature, big or small, wished to break its surface. The surrounding forest laid decorated by ice and frost, the gentle light turning it into a magnificent sight to behold. But even on such a beautiful day and warmed by a crackling hearth, the Xiao Long household remained uneasy.

Summer rose stood alone once again in her friend’s kitchen, solemnly staring out the window to picturesque wilderness. She held a fresh cup of hot cocoa in her off hand, patiently waiting for it to cool. As the minutes ticked by, Summer delicately caressed her ever growing baby bump; doling out a heavy breath with every stroke. It amazed her how much she had swelled since that passion fueled night 3 months ago. What amazed her even further what that Taiyang hadn’t noticed it yet. Guess they’re more benefits to wearing a cloak than meets the eye.

Everything about her pregnancy thus far had been surprisingly manageable. The morning sickness, the aches and pains, all child’s play by comparison to her life as a huntress. Hell, even Professor Port’s lectures had been much worse. No… it was the anticipation that fueled her dread. To finally come clean to Taiyang and tell him the truth. About Qrow… and how she was carrying his child.

The sudden creak of the front door opening drew her gaze away from the window. For a moment, she panicked thinking it was Tai, but was instantly relieved when Qrow stepped into the kitchen. The two shared a warm smile before Summer decided to break the silence.

“Want some cocoa?” she asked lovingly “Water’s still hot.”

“I’d love some” Qrow answered jovially. “Thanks, Smallfry.”

“No Problem Beanstalk.” Summer fired back.

Summer then began darting around the kitchen, fetching what she needed. Qrow took the opportunity to waltz on up and embrace her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, perching his chin on the top of her head. His hands found themselves nuzzling their baby to be. Summer was pleasantly surprised at how warm her man was, despite him being out in the cold no more than a few minutes ago. She beamed radiantly and let his warmth envelope her; stroking the length of his forearm.

She very much wished this moment could last forever, but knew the world wasn’t so kind. Summer let out a shaky breath and began to pull away. Puzzled, Qrow tugged on her arm.

“Hey, What’s wrong?” He coaxed preemptively.

“Tai’s gonna be back soon.” Summer said bluntly “We probably shouldn’t… at least not until after we tell him.”

The silence that followed seemed to fill the entire room. It was a day they hoped would never come, but Summer’s pregnancy had seen it rushed forward. Now they were mere moments before Tai walked through front door; mere moments before their lie came undone. Summer trembled at the thought. She rushed back into Qrow’s embrace and squeezed him tight, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I’m scared, Qrow. For the first time, I don’t know what to do.”

It was quite the role reversal indeed. Normally it was Qrow stressing over every little thing his semblance could entangle itself in, but now it was his fearless leader coming apart at the seams. The young man took his partner’s hands in his own and did something he never expected from himself: he acted as her emotional support.

“Shhhh, It’s gonna be okay. We’ve made through tough scrapes before. This is just another in a verrrry long list.”

“But he might never forgive us. And Yang, she still needs a mother, Qrow. He might never let us, might never let ME see her again.”

“Hey… Breathe a little. Sum, we owe him the truth, but that doesn’t mean he’s obligated to like it. Tai can push us away all he likes, but that doesn’t change the fact her still needs… well, you. Trust me, we’ll get through this, I promise.”

“That’s not super reassuring.” Summer joked snidely “Especially coming from you.”

“Hmph, Well I guess your optimism is starting to rub off on me.”

His endearing confidence was remarkable comforting to her. In the years being together, Qrow had seldom shown any of the sort. It was nice to know her constant encouragement was paying off. No more Cursed Qrow.

“Summer?! You home?” a voice called from the foyer, “Hello?”

The all too friendly voice made Summer’s heart nearly pop out of her chest. She instinctively reached or more like scrambled for Qrow’s hand. Her tiny hand clenched his as a shaky breath escaped her lungs. Her grip was tight, but Qrow didn’t mind. They two looked at each other one last time before they took the plunge. Their eyes said the same thing; This was it, no more lies. With one last deep breath, Summer found the resolve to speak.

“I’m in here, Tai!” she replied, letting go of Qrow’s hand.

The jovial young man practically pranced into the kitchen, wearing his trademark dopey grin across his face. It somehow managed to stretch even further when he laid eyes upon his best friend, whom he hadn’t seen in ages. Tai nearly tackled Qrow when his leaned in for their “bro-shake” then casually wrapped his arm around Summer.

“Jeez, man why didn’t you tell you coming back?” Tai inquired cheerfully “I would’ve bought beers.”

“It was a pretty sudden thing for me too. But Y’know how Oz is.” Qrow answered stalely, trying to ignore Tai’s arm draped over Summer’s shoulder. “Plus, I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Well considered me surprised. How long do you plan on staying?”

“A week or two depending. Oz hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to stay til he does.”

Each and every word Taiyang spoke felt like a gut punch. He had no idea how much he would regret saying that. Both Summer and Qrow shifted uncomfortably. Reading the situation, Tai grew more and more suspicious of his teammates. In his own unique way, he pointed it out like it was nothing.

“You guys alright? You’ve both been strangely quiet since I got back”

Shit. The one time Tai had to be observant they both thought. Qrow was about ready to conjure up another bullshit excuse, but before he could even open his mouth, Summer had pushed him aside. She shot him a look he’d seen too many times; a look he knew meant ‘let me handle this’. Summer’s fingers began to tremble so hard she clenched them til they went numb. Tai, still waiting on an answer, grew more confused as his friends continued to fumble over themselves.

“Tai.” Summer announced shakily, looking in her friend square in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”

The words echoed off the walls, through the corridors, and in and out of Taiyang’s ears. He just stood there like a stump, the shock sucking the air out of his lungs. Even Qrow wasn’t expecting her to so blunt; given her way of sugarcoating everything, almost literally. The two young men blankly stared at each other for moment, then turned their gaze towards a now sobbing Summer.

“But Sum… we’ve never even… how? … Who?” Taiyang mumbled, still attempting to find his voice.

“I’m sorry, Tai. It’s…”

“Mine.”

Taiyang’s shaky vision shifted towards his best friend. The young crow’s eyes could not do the same as he moved to stand by his lover. Only as he took her hand, did he find the resolve to return the favour. And what he saw would likely haunt him for the rest of his life. His upbeat best friend looked as if he’d been stabbed in the heart, his face drifting between rage and despair. Finally, Taiyang just snapped.

“You fucking piece of bandit shit!” Tai roared while charging at his supposed ‘best friend’. “I TRUSTED YOU!!!!!”

Qrow didn’t even move when Tai slugged him in the jaw. It was no more than he deserved, or at least so he thought. The punch sent Qrow halfway across the kitchen, smacking his head against the wall. The sound of him crashing in the wall reverberated throughout the entire first floor. Thank the Gods Yang was a deep sleeper. Qrow hadn’t bothered to engage his aura, so the impact stung him pretty bad. Everything had happened so quickly, Summer barely had time to react. Snapping back into reality, she rushed to her boyfriend’s side.

“What the shit Tai?! Gods Qrow, are you okay?” Summer said to him, frantically checking his face for bruises.

“Ah god Sum. SUM! Ease up, I’m fine.” Qrow complained, gently batting her hands away.

All the while Summer was tending to a reluctant Qrow, Taiyang fell silent once more. In the singular moment he saw them together, Tai began to understand why Summer never went all the way with him. Reaching into every memory he had with her, it was clear her heart had always belonged to someone else. He supposed the reason why it hurt so earnestly was because he never anticipated it to be his best friend. Now there was just one question left to ask.

“So… how long have you guys been… Well… Y’know.” Tai asked, defeated but curious nonetheless.

“Since Third Year.”

Slipping into an adjacent chair, Tai buried his head into his arms. This was too much. It was like losing Raven all over again. His mind raced, his heart beating out of his chest. He was angry, but couldn’t decide what over. That they’d lied? Kept this from him and Raven for YEARS. Or how they likely would’ve kept it if Summer hadn’t gotten pregnant. Watching him stew over their relationship was heartbreaking. Summer hadn’t stopped weeping the whole time; Qrow hadn’t looked his best friend in the face since the whole ordeal began.

Summer walked over to give a much needed hug, but Tai refused, not wanting to be anywhere near them. With a single word, he ushered his teammates away.

“Leave.”

Summer wanted to object but before she could, Qrow laid his hand on her shoulder.

“C’mon Sum, we should go.” He whispered into her ear “I think he needs to be alone for awhile…”

She hated it when Qrow made a point, but it was true. As much as she wanted comfort him, it wouldn’t do their strained friendship any favours. The pair made their way out the front door, gently shutting it behind them. Leaving Tai to his thoughts and anguish.

The couple walked to their favourite spot in the forest; an old and massive Weeping Willow they’d found after graduation. They often napped in it together, letting the wind set their troubles at ease. Boy, could they use that now. Summer clung to Qrow’s back as he climbed to their usual branch; her half-dried tears rubbing off on his cape. Being the gentleman he was, Qrow let Summer climb on first, then moved to situate himself between her and the trunk.

He rested his hands delicately over her baby bump, while she nuzzled her head into his chest. Summer wiped away the remainder of her tears and sighed loudly.

“Well… That was shit.”

“Hmph, you said it.”

“What? No witty response.”

“Nope. That was about as bad as I expected it to be. Just my luck, right?”

“Our luck.” She corrected.

They chuckled for a moment. It wasn’t often they joked about his semblance together. But back to the more pressing issue of Tai.

“So now what?” Summer asked tentatively.

“No clue.” He answered “I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I doubt he’ll stay mad at you but he might never talk to me again.”

Summer didn’t know if that comforted her or not. But things were already set in motion. Tai knew now, and she had every intention of keeping her baby, regardless of how he felt about it. As much as she cared for Tai, for Yang; she loved Qrow just as much, perhaps even more. Once again her boyfriend was right.

Only time would tell.


End file.
